Crazy May!

Things have been crazy. Like, crazier than usual. So crazy that it's been 2 weeks since I last posted despite my efforts to try to make a blog post every week. So here's what's been going on... 

Love this shirt, spotted at the lake!

I started another blog! It's called Burlington Boho and I plan for it to be a collaboration with so many of the amazing women here. "Featuring our love of all things Bohemian in BTV: Fashion, food, live music, yoga, art, the green mountains surrounding us, the large lake beside us and all the cool stuff in between." Check it out on Tumblr, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. :) 

It's always hard getting back into the swing of Artist Market season, which started last Saturday. I was a busy worker bee leading up to it and managed to have a ton of work ready. It was a great first Market and so good to see everyone again! 

Brianne, happy in her new earrings and necklace!

I have a similar schedule to last year, averaging 2 markets a month but it's really more like this for the summer:
May 23
June 13
Every Saturday in July! 
No Saturdays in August (I'll be getting ready for, going to and recovering from NYNOW.)
It's all subject to change but I think that's how it will shake out.

I'm working on store orders, sent this one out to The Shoe Horn a couple of weeks ago and I'm working on 2 more...
I'm working on the Kickstarter rewards and that's a whole beast in itself but I love working on this collection. 

I'm preparing to move into my new studio, can't wait. There's so little space for me to even move around in my current home studio so it will be amazing to have more space! And, I'm planning my studio opening party! 

I've been making some new designs, like these Mixed Metal Circle and Feather earrings (5 pairs have sold this week!). After a bit of a lull, Etsy has been rockin' this month. 

So that's what's been keepin' me busy. Hope everyone is having a wonderful spring and enjoying all the sunshine, flowers and outdoor livin'. xo

New Instagram Contest!

I've been meaning to do another contest and I wanted to come up with one that didn't require owning any of my work to enter. I've also been trying to come up with some new words to say about my work. These two things have formed together to create this Instagram contest.

It could be a photo of you in my jewelry with the quote written in the negative space or a photo of a piece or pieces you own with the quote overlaid. It could also be as easy as writing something on a post it (good penmanship helps!) or creating an image with funky fonts in Photoshop or an app... 

I'd love to know how my jewelry makes you feel. I'd love to hear a snippet of a story. That's all. The image with the most likes will win (so tell your friends!) as well as 2 of my top favorite images. Each winner will win $75 in credit for my Etsy shop. 

So excited to see and hear what people come up with!

Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide - 8 Gifts From $28 - $98

Here's 8 (GREAT!) gift ideas under $100. These range from $28 to $98 through $10 increments. Something for everyone! These are all still available in my Etsy Shop, just click on the link under each image to purchase. You can even use coupon code FREESHIP but orders must be made by tomorrow to get these by XMAS.
I also have ONE MORE SHOW! Find me and all your favorite BCA Artist Market vendors at City Hall in Burlington this Friday (4-8) and Saturday (10-6) for the Annual Holiday Artist Market.

1) For your Pop: Brass Keychain $28 - Great stocking stuffer! This features a kind of patchwork pattern which delineates the 14 Vermont counties. The VT letters are made up of my signature "patch" design. 

2) For your new Girlfriend/Boyfriend: Tiny Sterling Key $38 - This little key is a sterling replica of a vintage skeleton key. 

3) For your Daughter or Son: Tree Pendant $48 -This lovely piece features a tree on one side and a leaf pattern on the other. Wear it on either side, great for an "every day" necklace. 

4) For your Momma: Small Copper Crescents $58

Can’t go wrong with my crescents! The color on the copper is due to a Flame-patina, which is a spontaneous process and allows for an array of red/orange colors patterns, no two are exactly alike.  

5) For your Wife: Ring Holder Necklace $68 - This simple necklace resembles a horse shoe and serves as a ring holder. I had a request from a massage therapist, she wanted a necklace that she could hang her wedding ring from so she could have her hands free. Also great for pregnant women for when finger sizes change.

6) For Rockin’ Out New Years Eve! Large Silver Pendulum $78
They are definitely related to my crescent earrings but maybe somewhat edgier, flashier, a bit more dramatic, a modernized/ futuristic version yet still an Ethnic and tribal feel. 

7) For Yourself? You deserve it! Sterling Ladder Necklace $88

This modern necklace is so edgy but so simple. Sleek, thick, hammered sterling is united by oxidized sterling chain. 

For a Good Friend - Gold Chakra Necklace $98

Chakra Kahn - healing pendants. There are 7 major chakras. Each one has specific associations with certain elements, glands, colors, gemstones and physical and emotional disorders. Each one is also related to a personality trait, which can manifest in positive or negative ways depending if it’s energy is balanced or imbalanced. 

24k gold fused to pure silver suspended from precious stone strand.

Everything's Coming Up Druzy

I just love how dramatic these druzy cabs are, they look like they're filled with overflowing sugar or a dimension to some other sparkly galaxy. Druzy crystals take hundreds to thousands of years to form, as molten rock begins cools with trapped gases inside. The gases cause gaps in the rock and groundwater flows through the gaps. Centuries go by like this and minerals crystallize forming this concentrated crystallization. I've used PMC (Precious Metal Clay) pure silver for the setting which is why it has an organic look and textured design. I chose an open back because these pieces look so beautiful when the light shines through. These are all available in my Etsy shop.

Taking Some Time Amidst the Chaos

It's so easy to get completely overwhelmed right now so I'm trying to make time to take care of myself too. The Stoweflake Spa made that easy with their 50% off week deal. I called my dear friend Kori and we made a date for yesterday. We made sure to get there a couple hours early to enjoy the spa amenities: sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, waterfall pool, mineral pool. Pure luxuriousness.
Plus I was able to weave together business + social time + relaxation. The Spa made a BIG order from me over the summer and I was happy to see they are now quite low on work. They recently made a holiday order to replenish and I will be sending that in a few weeks but meanwhile I dropped off the 14 Chakra wraps that they ordered (they were completely out!) The Spa boutique carries the best products and features many Vermont made lines such as: Lunaroma, Way Out Wax and VT Artisan Tea Co. 

After a wonderful and relaxing Reflexology appointment with Lea I headed down the mountain road to the Stowe Craft Gallery to drop off the rest of their holiday order. 

So nice to see how they display my work and in a prominent position in the gallery. 

This week I also finished 3 new Turquoise pendants. You can find them in my Etsy shop. While I still have 2 shop orders to finish this week and then 3 HUGE shop orders to finish this month I'm trying to stay calm. Amanda Young is helping with that with weekly massages. After the spa afternoon yesterday and a massage from Amanda today, I feel ready to conquer the rest of the week. The sunshine ain't hurtin' either! To everyone that's workin' hard out there...make sure to take some time for yourself!

Artist Feature: Althea Designs

Today I'd like to introduce Althea Freeman-Miller. I just love her block prints. Last year I saw her show at Uncommon Grounds. I liked so many of her pieces that I couldn't choose. Through mutual friends, I saw her Facebook page and that she recently opened an Etsy shop. I was happy to be her first customer. So excited to read that she'll be hanging prints at the Skinny Pancake this evening. Her show will be up until the new year. You can even buy them right off the wall and take them with you! They make great holiday gifts. 

How lovely is this Vermont!?

Her studio is swoon worthy. So much color and wood and light.

These motorcycle boots are rad!

 I like the detail yet homespun-ness of this anatomical heart. 

Althea writes on her website: "All I ever want to do is make things. I specialize in linoleum block printing because I am fascinated by the simplicity and personality of carved lines. I love the abundance and repetition relief printing has to offer. I’m inspired by little things that make life better, like rocking chairs, Swiss army knives, and tacos! I love feeling an appreciation for the world around me. My favorite prints have a sense of humor and a well balanced composition. They are often tributes to an under credited beauty: a carrot, a horse shoe crab, or a cheese grater. I use color very playfully. I like bright happy color combinations including bold blues, oranges, and deep greens." 

Her celebration of the ordinary is so appealing. All the pieces look so great together. About her process: "I begin a piece by studying my subject matter. I usually end up with a series of pencil drawings,  trying different angles and prospectives. It helps to imagine myself carving as I draw, finding opportunities to add texture and always keeping negative space in mind. There is always the decision if I will carve the back away or the design into the linoleum. Perfecting my drawing is the most time consuming part of the process. I use Japanese wood carving tools and linoleum mounted blocks. All my designs are printed on quality printmaking paper with soy-oil based inks. A wooded spoon or a 4 inch baren is used to rub the back of the paper while it lies on an inked block. Prints are mounted to up-cycled wood. All pieces are finished with a clear coat to protect the ink. They are sold ready to hang. Seeing my designs displayed on wood backing makes my process feel compete. It’s as if the image has come full circle and returned to a wood block." 

This is the bicycle print that I ordered from her Etsy shop. You get to choose the color of the ink and the color of the painted wood, it's nice to be able to customize what you want and having the print on the wood block does give it so much more substance. Custom orders do take a few weeks though so now is a great time to order for the holidays. I placed mine next to my back door and I enjoy that it's like a sign to remind me that my bicycle is right outside. Oh and look at that, right next to my Skinny Pancake hat -how perfect!

Back in the blue...

...blue/green - I just love Chinese turquoise and I'm back to making my signature collar pieces and single pendants, all with rich textured backs. Thanks to Molly who encouraged me to get back into this! (By the way, check out her brand new blog which I encouraged her to get into!) These pieces are now available in my Etsy shop. I will also have them at my last Artist Market of the season, this Saturday. 

 New Turquoise 3 Piece Collar

 (the back)

 Turquoise Pendant with tribal back

 (the back)

 Turquoise Pendant with flower back

 (the back)

Also very happy to have just sent this order out to Wake Up Little Suzie in D.C.

Top 10 Signs you live with a Jewelry Artist

New Work!

Working on a few new simple and sexy designs... Just added all of these to my Etsy shop. Been busy with store orders and getting ready for the Artist Market on Saturday. Already figuring out my holiday show and production schedule - crazy! 

Adding a little verdigris to the Sweet Lady Earrings!

These giant rectangle earrings are my new favorite to wear.

And if I'm not wearing those I'm wearing my new HUGE forged sterling hoops.

Making the hoops got me to make a big riveted circle pendant.

Special request - gold and sterling ladder necklace. So excited to have a request for this, been wanting to make one. The gold and black look so great together.

New Riveted Blade Pendant

New Riveted Arrow Pendant